Vehicle wheel-grip member



1.629 786 May 1927 c. H. GUNTHORPE, SR

VEHICLE WHEEL GRIP MEMBER Filed March 1926 INVENTOR E GHnZbOT ve 67:,

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented May 24, 1927..

CHARLES H. GUNTI-IORPE, SBL, OFPORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.

VEHICLE WHEEL-GRIP MEMBER.

Application filed March 29, 1926. Serial No. 98,258.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for application tovehicle wheels and particularly to the tire of an automobile wheel toprevent spinning oi the wheel on a slippery surface or in mud, and itconsists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a grip member of thecharacter described which can be quickly and easily applied toavehiclewheel, even though the vehicle wheel be resting in mud, and whichaffords tacilities for supporting the convolutions ot a rope or likeflexible traction member which is Wrapped around the rim portion of theassociated wheel, so that portions of the rope will extend across theperiphery of the wheel tire and will be held against slid ingcircumferentially of the wheel, whereby the periphery of the wheel willgrip the surface on which the tire rests.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vehicle wheelgrip member of the character described which is simple in construction,reliable in use and thoroughly practical commercially.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a grip memberembodying the invention, showing in dotted lines the convolutions of arope which has been wound about the grip member,

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1 with therope omitted,

Figure 3 is a section substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

' Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section extending longitudinally ofthe grip mem ber and on an enlarged scale.

In carrying outthe invention, I make use of a strip of relatively lightgauge metal 1 of which a sufficient number may be employed to extendcompletely around the periphery of a. tire, not shown, of an automobilewheel so that the ends of the strips abut each other, as at2. Each strip1 is bent to be convexo-concave in transverse sectional configuration toconform to the cur vature of the peripheral portion of an auto mobilewheel tire. The strip 1 is formed at opposite sides of and equi-distantfrom its longitudinal median line with struck out portions to producetwo parallel rows of spaced pairs of oppositely bent lugs 3 and l,respectively, which are struck radially outward from the strip 1. themembers or lugs of each pair thus being spaced longitudinally of thestrip. Corresponding iairs of lugs 34 and corresponding lugs and 1- atopposite edges of the longitudinal median line of the strip 1 arealigned transversely of the strip; In addition, the strip is tormetalong its longitudinal median line with spaced sets of circumferentiallyspaced lugs 5 and 6 which are struck outward from the strip and bent toposition 'to extend radially outward from the strip. There are two lugs5 and one lug 6 in each set and adjacent lugs of the middle row arespaced longitudinally of the strip 1 a distance greater than thedistance between the lugs 3-& of each pair and each lug 5 or 6 islocated on a line which extends transversely of the strip 1 midway linesat 7 is wound about the strip 1 and about the tire, not shown, on whichthe strip 1 will be mounted in actual use. The convolutions of the ropeon the outer face of the strip 1 will extend between the lugs3-4 ofadjacent pairs of lugs ot the outer rows and across the face of thestrip around the adjacent lugs 6 or 5 ot the middle row 0t lugs, wherebythe portion of each convolution of rope that extends on the outer faceof the strip 1 between the outer rows of lugs, will be bent or heldsubstantially in V-shape, as clearly shciwn in Fig. l. Knots 7 at theends of each length of rope will engage with adjacent lugs 3-4 to holdthat length of rope in place. The rope will serve to hold the strip 1 onthe periphery of a wheel tire and in conjunction with the lugs, willprovide an effective gripping means for biting into mud or a slipperysurface so that the wheel. will not slip and a vehicle with which thedevice is associated thus can be moved under its own power from a muddyor slippery surface. It will be manifest that a strip 1 and the rope canbe applied to a wheel when the wheel is resting in the mud and in aposition in which it would be diflicult, if not practically impossibleto apily an ordinary anti-skid chain.

The plate or strip 1 may be termed a shoe-plate tor the tire oi avehicle wheel And.

will protect the tire on which it is disposed in addition to serving); agrip member for preventing slipping of the wheel on a slippery surfaceor mud.

One section of the grip may be applied to a wheel while the wheel isresting in mud. For slippery pavement-s, enough sections of the grip maybe applied to extend eornpletely around the wheel.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in terms otherthan that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and Itherefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptationsthereo't as fairly fall within the scope ot the appended claims.

I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a metallicstrip adapted to be up plied to the periphe y ot an an 1 ll wheel tire,said strip having long" u. t

and transversely spaced d a lugs thereon, and a flGXlblQ traction memberwound about the rim of the wheel and the strip on the rim and threadedbetween jacnt lugs on said strip, said strip being curved transverselyto conform to thc curvature of the peripheral portion of the a ;;ociatedwheel tire, said fl "*(ible traction memher having knotted portions inenga ement with adjacent lugs on said strip.

2. A device oi the character described comprising a strip of light gaugemetal adapted to encircle the tread of an flntriillfibile wheel tire andto Contact with the periphery oi said tire, said strip being curvedtransversely to conform to the curvature oi the peripheral portion ofthe associated tire, said strip being formed with longitudinally spacedpairs of outwardly turned lugs arranged in two rows respectively locatedat opposite sides of the longitudinal median line of the strip, the lugsof each pair being struck oppositely from the body of the strip, and. aflexible traction member wound about the rim of the wheel and about thestrip on said wheel tire, the convolutions of said flexible tractionmember extending between rangeijl in two rows respectively located vatopposite sides of the longitudinal median line oi the strip, the lugs ofeach pair being struck oppositely from the body of thestrip, a flexibletraction member wound about the rim of the wheel and about the stnip onsaid wheel tire, the convolutions of said flexible traction memberextending between adjacent pairs cit lugs of each of said vrows of hutson the strip, saic strip also being formed with a row of outstanding-lugs exalong; the longitudinal ,median Eline strip, the lugs of saidlast named row a 5 arranged in sets of three lugs, two of which arestruck from the body oft-the strip 0 ipositely to the remaining lug andall of s t lu 's he'. turned outward, the distance between adjacent lugsof the last named now ben greater than the distance between the liu thepairs of lugs of thefirstrnamed rcn :1 the lugs of the last named rowbeing located along lines which extend transversely ot the strip midwaybetween adjacent pairs of lugs of the first named row, the lugs of thelast named or middle [row also being engaged with the rconvo'lutions ofsaid flexible traction member.

enl sts-Les H. GUNTHORP-E, SR.

